My OTTB and I are in our first show of 2011 this coming weekend. We've been working great together and even jumping courses.

When I ride on any regular day, I wear my super comfortable paddock boots and half chaps. My leg stays put and I feel strong and comfortable. Now, fast forward to show day.....

I have really comfortable show boots (Mountain Horse). I show english equitation and hunter/jumper. So, when I wear my show boots, I never feel as "solid" as I do with my half chaps. Sometimes I can ever hear my leather boot sqeak against the saddle. Its not like my leg is all over the place, but I'm just not as consistently well positioned.

Are there any ways to get that "half chap" feeling in show boots?

I know that one of the best things is to start wearing the boots more often, so it doesnt feel as different on the day of the show. I definitely plan to do that. But I am just wondering if anyone has dealt with this in any other way.

One thought I had was full-seat breeches. Are those allowed in a show? My breeches only have suede on the knee.

The best advice is to ride in your breeches and your boots before a show. I know, not cool. I personally don't even use my english saddle unless I am showing so I know what you are talking about!

Cleaning your saddle and oiling it really well will give it a tacky feel and then there is a spray, I think it's called sporty stick or something like that. You can spray it on your boots and that will make them sticky. I've never used it, I have a lot of friends that show in the hunt realm and they never leave home without it......

I bet it leaves a sticky film on your boots though.

As for the full seet breeches I would check the rules. I THINK they are legal in dressage but NOT legal in hunt....

I know exactly what you're talking about and I hate it! My half chaps were a lot more comfortable then my tall boots. Half chaps are just a lot softer so you have a better feel and tighter grip. Everything everyone said was right, wear them more so they'll get softer. Use the sticky spray (just a quick shot on your calf right before you go in the ring) so you have a bit extra stick. But if you're still really unhappy you may have to consider getting a softer pair of tall boots. Unfortunately this often means they're a little more expensive....

Full seats aren't traditional in the hunter/eq ring but they aren't forbidden. If it makes you feel that much better I say go for it. The "euro seat" (which has knee patches AND a seam that looks like a full seat) is in right now so I imagine they're even more acceptable then before.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Horse Forum forums, you must first register.

Already have a Horse Forum account?
Members are allowed only one account per person at the Horse Forum, so if you've made an account here in the past you'll need to continue using that account. Please do not create a new account or you may lose access to the Horse Forum. If you need help recovering your existing account, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help!

New to the Horse Forum?Please choose a username you will be satisfied with using for the duration of your membership at the Horse Forum. We do not change members' usernames upon request because that would make it difficult for everyone to keep track of who is who on the forum. For that reason, please do not incorporate your horse's name into your username so that you are not stuck with a username related to a horse you may no longer have some day, or use any other username you may no longer identify with or care for in the future.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Old Thread Warning

This thread is more than 90 days old. When a thread is this old, it is often better to start a new thread rather than post to it. However, If you feel you have something of value to add to this particular thread, you can do so by checking the box below before submitting your post.I am aware that this is an old thread and I want to revive it rather than starting a new thread.